What we thought was a male budgie has just started laying eggs, as of about 6 weeks ago. They are coming more often now, several a week. There is a male in the cage beside her as well as a mirror in her cage, which is probably encouraging her. She burrows under the paper in the bottom of the cage & hides alot. The pet store said just take the eggs out, but I've just read you should leave them there or she'll just lay more. These are pets in a retirement home & the residents get lots of enjoyment out of their antics. Other than putting them in separate rooms, which we don't want to do, how do we stop the eggs from coming? We don't want her to get egg bound.
Anonymous2010-10-12T11:52:02Z
Favorite Answer
There are several things you can do to discourage egg laying in budgies. Keep the eggs with the budgie. You can buy fake eggs and place them under her, too. She won't know the difference. If you remove the eggs, this will encourage the female to lay more eggs. Also, cut back on the amount of light she receives. Light stimulates egg laying. In addition, don't place a nest or cozy hut in the cage. Those also encourage egg laying. Something you need to do is start having her eat more calcium. Cuttlebone, mineral block, or crushed egg shells from a hard-boiled egg are all good sources of calcium. Calcium is need to prevent egg binding, which is when the egg gets stuck and won't come out. With chronic egg laying budgies, this is very likely to happen. Egg laying depletes a budgie's body of calcium, and this can lead to brittle bones and fractures. Another thing you need to do is to cut back on high-protein foods, such as eggs. They stimulate breeding behavior. What's more, misting the budgie with water is another thing to avoid. If for some reason she still keeps on laying eggs, she needs to be taken to an avian vet to discuss treatment options. Hormone shots are available but they have side effects. Your avian vet can help you decide what form of treatment is best.
If there is not any male poultry, then the egg is infertile. woman budgies might often times lay eggs and not using a mate. those eggs won't exchange into chicks. in the experience that your poultry is merely leaving the egg on the cage backside and not sitting on it, you could throw the egg out. in case you get a male, then your birds might mate and characteristic toddlers. Please please don't get a male and mate budgies without expertise and experience! Mating birds takes quite some time and attempt. to tell in the experience that your poultry's gender, seem on the cere (the fleshy bit above their beak). If that is brown, this is a woman. If that is blue, this is a male (different than for albinos, lutinos and recessive pieds, which will coach a pinkish cere). Juvenile budgies have a crimson cere. i wish this allows!
One of the best ways to stop pet cage birds from laying is to shorten their daylight hours to under 12 hours a day. Shorter "days" mean winter's coming and it's time to stop breeding. So cover her cage. You're right, though, the presence of the male keet and the mirror don't help. Also offer her a cuttlebone to keep her calcium up while she's still laying. Or you could let her complete her clutch and sit on the infertile eggs till she gets tired of them. But that seems a bit mean.
Best way I have found is to decrease the daylight that the birds get. Increase in daylight encourges breeding behavior. Also leave the eggs in the cage until she tires of them completly. Then take them out. Only problem is if they are fertile they will hatch which may be another option if you want baby budgies.
You can shorten their day by putting a towel over the cage so that she thinks its time to go to sleep early, or you can separate the female from the male by putting them in separate cages.